Prelude to Conflict: Asia, December 1

Taiwan’s landslide election was more historic than the Democrats’ whompping early November. The vote didn’t reject Taiwan’s KMT-Nationalist party as much as it rejected Beijing. One big factor ignored by media: Clearing HK demonstrators in Mong Kong two days before Taiwan elections solidified voters’ decision: The KMT’s de facto agenda of “Taiwan SAR” is unacceptable.

Taiwan’s Premiere “resigned” and President Ma “accepted” it. Rolling the head of the second in command is an old Chinese power tactic. Ma borrowed from the same playbook in his second election when he chose a new Vice President—the man who happened to be governor of Kaohsiung when the 24-year-old gasline was installed, which blew up a few months ago, killing 30 people, wounding 300, and turning one of the city’s beautiful streets into a WWI style trench. Even if Ma resigns as KMT Chairman, as Monday rumors claim, that would only embolden the East Asian culture of Taiwan, which loves the public beating.

What was the straw that broke the camel’s back? Arguably, Mong Kok. Beijing clearly does not understand the nature of international opinion and worldwide repercussions of internal policy, especially in beloved cities like Hong Kong. Communists don’t face elections. So, they don’t fear them as they should. And they don’t understand the stubbornness and strength of free people. HK’s Umbrella Movement was never going to bring freedom in HK, but it would wake up the region to China and bring strength to the East Asian neighborhood. This has been a thesis of the Prelude, something neither Beijing nor Hong Kongers seemed to understand. Beijing won the battle of Mong Kok and lost the war of the Pacific because they lost Taiwan—a small island nation with more people than 75% of UN member nations.

Were there other issues involved in Taiwan’s disgruntled election? Always. Food scandals involving KMT cronies, union problems with toll road workers, police brutality six months ago, a Kaohsiung street blowing up from a faulty KMT-governed propylene line—but these were all symptoms that the KMT was distracted from governing their own country because they were too focused on trying to accomplish Taiwan President Ma’s father’s death bed wish: to merge Taiwan into China.

But the KMT, Beijing, and President Ma’s deceased father weren’t the only ones to lose this past Saturday. Washington’s incompetence gleamed like a glaring zit once again. Look back to a comment from Richard Bush, former US envoy to Taiwan, as he expressed Washington’s continued support of Taiwan’s KMT. Washington’s refusal to reprimand Bush for his comments makes another thing clear: Taiwan’s vote also rejected Washington’s Pacific spinelessness, and Washington doesn’t seem to care, though, like Taiwan’s defeated KMT, Washington has lots of care for Beijing.

Thanks, HK and Taiwan, for teaching America what it means to stand for something. The next and bigger whompping will be two years from now.

…the big difference and the fatal flaw: Top government buildings were the Sunflower Movement’s first target, for Umbrella’s government buildings were close, but still secondary. Umbrella’s targeted a park first, then blocked main roads when denied entry.